Beet-harvester.



F. DUHSEL. v BEET HARVESTBR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1912 PatentedOct. 7, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Z WITAESES .19

' P. r-DUHSBL V BEETHARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1912 1 074 61Q Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

R sums-sum s WITNESSES; fgg figvgrsle.

UNITED srar ss rar are FERDINAND DUHEEEL, 0F DENVER, GOLORAIOO.

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To oll w'izom z't may concern:

Be it known that I,' FI 1R1 INAND DunsnL; a 'subject' of lVilliain' II,Emperor of Ger -:many, having declared my intention of-be coming acitizen of the United filtates, resid- =1ng at Denver,-1n, the countyJot Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Beet-Harvesters, of which the tollowing 1s a speclfication. 4

My inventon relates to improvements in beet harvesters and -1ts ob ectresides n the provision of a machine of simple construe tion wlnch whilebelng advanced along the rowsof plants in a, beet field willsuccessively'lift the beets out of the ground, sever the lower parts ofthe roots, jcut the tops off .ofthe beets, separate the severed topsfrom theroots and deposit both these products in separate receptaclesafter the beets have been cleaned of sand and other adherent matter. Iattain this object by the mechanism illustrated in-theaccompanyingdrawings in the various views of which likeparts aresimilarly designated and in which,'

Figure- 1 represents a planflview of my improved harvester, Fig. 2, aside elevation of the same, Fig. 3, a fractionalplan view of theconveyer employed in the machine, looking in the direction of the arrowA, Fig 2, Fig. 4, a section taken along the line 4-4:, Fig." 3, Fig; 5 atransverse section taken along the line 55, Fig. 2 drawn to an enlargedscale, and Fi 6, a similar section taken along the line 66, Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 2

1 designates a truck frame supported upon the whee'led axles 3 and 4 andcarrying a superstructure 5,11pon which-the greater part of theoperatingmechanism is mounted, and a seat 6 for the driver and operatorof the machine.

Pivotally mounted at its upper end on the frame which constitutesthesuperstructure, is a-conv'eyer trough 7 whichfis adjustably suspendedfrom a screw 8 which extends through a correspondinglythreaded openingof a cros's strap} 9 on the frame 5' and which at its upper endisprovided with a ha ndi-wheel 10. A y. H v l The trough 7 carries atits lower end a pair of plow shares 12 which in the o'eration of theinvention dig the beat p ants outffof the ground. and by means of .up-

turned flanges 13 guide them onto an end.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

.the slot 18.

Patentedllct. 7,1913.

Application filed July 10, 1912. Serial No. 708,639.

less belt conveyer let which has an upward movement along thelongitudinally slotted bottom of the trough. This conveyer consists of apair of parallel chains 17 which are connectedto the opposite'sides of abelt '15 which has a series of openings 16 in which, in "the operation,the beet plants are received and carried upwardly into the open, flaringend of a slot 18 formed in the front edge of av platform 19 which isdisposed at therear end of the superstructure 5.. Tlie conveyerchains 17are moved oversprocket wheels 20 at the lower endof the trough 7, twopairs of similar .wheels 21 below the platform 19 and a fourth pair ofwheels 22 disposed beneath the truck frame. pairs of wheels 21 arecarried upon shafts which are rotatably mounted in bearings at the upperends of'standards 23 which are vertically movably .fitted in cylinders24: fastened on the truck frame, and supported upon coiled springs25"placed within the same, The pair of sprocketwheels 22 disposed belowthe truck frame are carried on a shaft which is mounted in bearings onhangers 26 which extend upwardly through openings in the bottoms oftherearmost' being thus yieldingly supported at its rear portlon willmove up and downwardly to automatically-vary the distance between itsupper surface and theplatf'n'm in accordance with the size of the beetsit nell'lGS into The roots of the beets vary many pounds in weight andconsequently will extend above the surface of the belt at plants carriedin the openings 16 of the belt, their roots will always move beneath theplatform while their leaves project through the slot to be severed fromthe roots by the action of a rotary, knifewhich is mounted on the uppersurface of the platform, as will hereinafter be described.

The downward movement of the lower pair --d sprocket whee1s22 will takeup the slack The two in the conveyer which ;ot-herwise. would he on theconveyer,

- ed with the shaft'42 by'means of beveled gear wheels 44.

instrumentality-of another pair of'beveled' gear wheels 30, one of whichis mounted at the end of the shaft 28 and the other on a counter shaft31- which is operatively connected with the rear axle by means of a pairof gears 32. One of the beveled gear Wheels 30 is slidingly mounted onthe shaft 31 and connected with a lever 33 which extending Within reachof the operator on the seat 6, is used to shift the said-gear in and outof mesh with the corresponding gear on the shaft 28.

are attached to the said trough rearward of the plow shares 12 to cutoff the lower portions of the roots'while the beet'plants are movedupwardl on' the conveyer.

To maintain the beets in an upright position while they travel upwardlywith the conveyer toward the slot 18, I have arranged on the sides ofthe conveyer trough, two series of sustaining devices each consisting ofa rotary shaft 37 extending at right angles to the bottom of the trough,two sets of arms 38 which extend radially from the shaft 37 and asprocket wheel 39 which like the sets of arms, is fixedly mountedon theshaft 37.

The rotary devices on one side of the trough are placed alternately withrespect to those on the other side of the same so that when the'arms ofthe devices of one" of the series release a beet plant carried upwardlythose of the shaftsat the opposite side of the trough will immediatelyengage thesame.

Two endless sprocket chains 40 mounted to engage the wheels 39 on theshafts of the two series of rotary sustaining devices are in theoperation of the machine impelled by means of. sprocket wheels 41 onshafts 42 which are suspended'from an extension at the rear end of thesuperstructure and which are rotated through theinstrumentality of aline shaft 43 which is mounted on the same extension and which isoperatively connect- The. shaft 43 is while the machine is" in motion,rotated from the rear axle 3 through the mediumof 'a shaft 45 which isconnected with the said axle and with the said line shaft by means oftwo airs of beveled gear wheels 46. The gear w eel 46 on the axle 3 isslidably mounted thereon and connected with a lever 47 which extending,in proximdiate the 5 -Cables 34 connect the lower end of the conveyertrough 7 with the forward truck-bolster 35 and knives 36 ried by theconveiyer underneath the same,

consists of a seto tend radially from a common mounted upon theplatform.

hub rotatably A sprocket wheel 49 connected with the hub of the rofourblades 48 which 'ex- I tary knife is operatively engagedby a chain I 50which runs around a sprocket wheel 51 on an upri 'ht stud shaft 52placed intermeafts42 and connected with the line shaft by means of apair of beveled gear 7 Wheels 53. 4

By the rotary motion of the sprocket wheel 49 the blades of the knifeare moved across the slot 18 and sever the leaves extendingtheretlirough from the roots held on the conveyer U turned flanges 54 ontheseblades project esevered leaves onto an endless belt 55 whose uppersurface is flush with that of the platform and which being operated bymeans of .a -,spro cket chain 56 from the line shaft, carries the leavesinto the openmouth of a sack 57 which issuspended from the rear end ofthe .superstruc The roots are after the action'of the 1'0? ture ofthemachine. having been topped by tary knife, carried rearwardly to bedeposited inanother sackl58 which likewise is sus-' pended from theframe fore entering the sack, however, the roots are" subjected to thecleaning action of a pair of of. the machine. Be:

brushes 59. which are mounted. to rotate. about parallel axes, above themouth of the;

sack 58 and which receive ment fromtheline shaft'through the. me dium oftwo upright shafts-60' which are connected withthe line shaft beveledgears 61 and62, as is Fig. 6 of the drawin s.

The bags are provided with bot tomswhich are normally held infthelcflosed.

lever 63 bn seg:

position byjmeans of a I ment 64, with which they are connected by meansof cords 65. This lever ispositioned within easy reach of the operatoron the seat 6 so that the'contents of the two sacks-may be dumped upon.the ground wheneverv tlel s re. c

Having thus described the mechanical construction of my imp and withthe; respective brush shafts by means of pairs of best shown in,

roved harvester', its op; 7

their rotary move-f eration will'be readily understood. The ma'-' chinebeing drawn along a; row ofbeets by-" draft animals hitched'in frontthereof, lifts the beets out of the ground by means of the .plow shareswhose upwardly extending"'j j flanges glfide the beet plants into theopenings in the belt of the conveyer after which' their lower ends willbe'severed byengagement with the knives During their-sub sequent upwardmovement they are maintained in an upright'position by engagement withthe arms'of the series of rotary sustaining deviceson the sides of theconveyor trough, the lower-sets of said arms engaging the smallerbeetsonly, while the'larger beets are'engaged by both .sets of arms oneach shaft .Upon reaching the flaring entrance to the slot. 18 the beetsby engagement withthe upturned edges 27 thereof, move underneath theplatform 19 while depressing the" upper portion of the conveyor inaccordance with their varying sizes, the rotary knife severs the leaveswhich project through the slot, from the roots and moves them onto theendless" belt which conveys them into the sack 57 while the roots are atthe sainetime carried onto the brushes 59 which by their rotarymovement, remove the sand and other adherent matter from the beetsbefore they fall into the sack 58. The driver of the inachine controlsits operation by means of the lovers 33' and 47 which respectivelyestabthe beets, a conveyen for elevatii'ig the beets,

and a cutter for topping the same.

2; A beet harvester comprising in combination with a wheel supportedcarrier, means for lifting beetsout of the ground over which the carrieris advanced, a conve-yer for. elevating thebeet s, series of rotaryarms.

at opposite sides of the conveyer and ineving above the sameto engage"the beets carried thereby, and a cuttei;for toppingthe beets. A I

3. A beet harvester comprising in combination with a wheel supportedcarrier, means for lifting beets out of the ground over which thecarrier is advanced, a conveyer for elevating the beets,- series ofrotary. arms at opposite sides of the conveyer and moving above the sameto alternately engage the beets carried thereby, and a cutter fortopping the beets.

4. A beet harvester comprising in combination with a wheel-supportedcarrier. meansfor lifting beets out of the ground over which the carrieris advanced, a conveyer for elevating the beets, series of rotarydevices at opposite sides of the conveyor for maintaining the beetscarried thereon iira position at substantially right angles to itssurface, means for imparting a rotary movement to said devices, and acutter for top )in the beets each of said devices com )rising armsradiating from its axis of rotation and extending above the conveyor.

A beet harvester comprising in combination with a wheel-supportedcarrier, means for lifting beets out of 'the ground over i which thecarrier is advanced, a conveyer for elevating thc beets, series ofrotary dc vices at opposite sides of the. conveyor for maintaining thebeets carried thereon in a position at substantially right angles to itssurface,-means for mparting a. rotarymovcmentto said devices, and acutter for topping the beets, each of said devices comprising two setsof arms radiating from its axis of rotation and extending above the.conveyer at different distances from its surface.

6. A beet harvester comprising in combination with a wheel-supportedcarrier, inc-ans for lifting beets out of thc ground over which thecarrier, is advanced, a convevcr for elevating the beets comprising anendless ,belt having a series of longitiulinally alined openings inwhich the beets are supported, and a cutter for topping the heelscarried onthe conveyor.

7. A beet harvester comprising in comhi nation with a wheel-supportedcarrier, urea us for lifting beets out of the ground over which thecarrier is advanced. a conveyor for elevating the beets comprising anendless .belt having a series of longitudinally alined openings in whichthe boots are supported, means for maintaining beets upport ed in saidopenings in a position at substantially right angles to the surface ofthe bolt,

and acutter for topping the beets carried on the conveyor.

'8. A beet harvester comprising in combination with a wheel-supportedcarrier, means for lifting'beetsout of the ground ovoiwhlch said carrier1s advanccd,a platform having an openended slot, a conveyor for an'ovingbeets lifted by said means, into said i slot, and a knife having amovement across the slot for severing the tops-of the beets provjecti'ng through the same.

9. A beet harvester comprising in combination with a wheel-supportedearrier,1noans fonlifting bccts out of the ground over which saidcarrier is advancod,-a platform moving beets lifted by said means, intosaid slot, a knife having a movement across the slot for severing thetops of the boots promeans on said platform for moving the severed topsthercinto.

10. A heet harvester comprising in combination with a wheel-s-npportcdcarrier. means for lifting boots out of the normal over which saidcarrier is advanced. a platform havin; an open-ended slot, :1 convovrrfor having an open-ended slot, a conveyor for 1ecting through the same,a receptacle, and

